Bright Lights
by Riddleisourking
Summary: Dating a multi-billionaire director is hard. Being pregnant with a multi-billionaire director's kid is harder. Missing your multi-billionaire director while being pregnant with his kid is probably not the situation you wished to be in, but here you are. Your name is Karkat Vantas, and no one told you life was gonna be this gay.
1. Chapter 1

Dating a multi-billionaire director is hard. Being pregnant with a multi-billionaire director's kid is harder. Missing your multi-billionaire director while being pregnant with his kid is probably not the situation you wished to be in, but here you are.

Your name is Karkat Vantas, and no one told you life was gonna be this gay.

 _March 10th, 2017_  
 _5:30pm_

Your fingers moved deftly over the expanse of the piano as a gentle melody started up and you lost yourself in your performance as memories of Dave and that shitty half-smile that he gave to everyone except you fluttered into your psyche. You got the real deal, the full smile and every time he thought to grace you with its presence, it made your heart beat fast and your fingers flew faster and fluidly over the piano. It was therapeutic to be able to make beautiful noise even though you felt as if your world was falling apart steadily.

Dave had been gone for what felt like months with only short appearances every now and then. You were asleep during these instances, and when you read his messages left behind on your pesterchum, you felt the cold stab of something in your heart.

You bow your head as tears slowly dripped down your face, you felt like a kid for acting like this. He hadn't abandoned you, these things were out of his control and he couldn't help it. It had only been a month since he had left and yet, your emotional reserves were drained and if it weren't for the beautiful music you were producing, you don't know where you would be at this moment.

Friends periodically ignored your frantic, and somewhat shitty, attempts to talk about what a toll Dave's absence had taken on you. You figure that when he comes back, your relationship would be stronger than ever. If you could survive this long without each other, it boded pretty well.

You finally hear your phone go off just as you finish the chorus to a new song you had been trying out and you pause as you pick up the device and read the red text that sent pangs through your entire body. You missed him again.

\- turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering carcinoGeneticist [CG] at 18:06 -

TG: sup

TG: karkat

TG: karkat

TG: earth to karkat

TG: karkat you there

TG: strider to grumpykat

TG: i finally touched down in houston, details will come later

TG: well im assuming youre off doing something with tz or egderp

TG: ill check back later

TG: i love you kitkat

\- turntechGodhead [TG] ceased pestering carcinoGeneticist [CG] at 18:15 -

CG: DAVE?

CG: FUCK. I'M SORRY.

CG: ARE YOU STILL THERE?

CG: I'M GLAD YOU HAD A SAFE FLIGHT AND I LOVE YOU TOO, DAVE.

\- carcinoGeneticist [CG] ceased pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at 18:29 -

Minutes pass as you waited with tears falling down your face, where they then pooled on the piano keys. He was gone yet again and if you hadn't been fucking around with your piano, you probably would have been able to have a small conversation with him. No matter how draining the conversations were for you afterwards when he inevitably had to leave again, they were always worth it.

You set your phone down again and took a deep breath as you stare down at the piano keys, pressing a few experimentally. The melodic tone sent shivers through your body and you imagined Dave sitting beside you, fucking up your small song with shitty raps as a huge shit-eating grin lit up his face. It seemed like the type of the thing he would do, and after you inevitably chewed him out for it, he would kiss you and kiss you until you eventually forgave his asshole tendencies. It wasn't hard to forgive Dave, you could never even find it in you to really be angry with him.

You close your eyes as you pictured a favorite memory of yours.

Dave had been baking all day for your birthday and he had actually put effort into producing a cake that fell a little flat of actually deserving the name of the word 'cake', but you didn't tell him this. You just wiped the flour from his nose and smiled at the complete mess that was your boyfriend. He had flour in his hair, egg yolk on his hands, batter on his shitty broken record shirt, and he had icing on his cheek. You're not sure how he could've possibly fucked up this badly and you looked down at the cake. It was burnt in a few places and the icing was messy. Cake bits littered around where he had spread the icing too hard and you smiled as you looked back at him.

'How long did this take you, Strider?'

The shit-eating grin that he gave you produced butterflies in your stomach and you swallowed hard.

'I burnt the first three cakes, so I'd say about... three hours? Maybe four?'

You wrapped your arms around him, not caring about the batter that got on you, 'Is that so? I'm glad you didn't end up asking Jane to help you. It means more that you went through the hassle of this by yourself.' He admitted.

Dave wrapped his own arms around you gently and he buried his face into your hair, 'I'd do anything to bring that smile to your face and I was going to present it to you all romantic-like but you came home a little too early.' He teased you softly.

'You're a dork, Strider.' You mumble into his chest affectionately.

'Yeah, but I'm your dork.' He kissed your head as he gently used your shirt to clean his hands off. Asshole.

The memory dissipated as you opened your eyes. You swallowed back your tears as your fingers flew over the keys fast. You didn't even know what you were playing anymore, but the melody made your insides ache along to it and your eyes smarted again.

Later that night, only when your fingers and back grew stiff from your constant playing, did you finally stop and you closed the piano lid slowly. It was tempting to play through the pain, but Dave's disappointed face flashed through your mind and you decided against this as you stood up on wobbly legs. You hadn't tried to move much for hours and the sudden movement made your head swim from disorientation and you steadied yourself against the piano before grabbing your phone and making a beeline to your bedroom.

You crashed hard as soon as you grabbed one of Dave's dirty shirts from the hamper and laid it on his pillow, which you had taken the liberty of sleeping with as of late. It was unsanitary but if anyone brought it up, you'd tell them to go fuck themselves.

 _March 11th, 2017_  
 _11:00am_

Waking was the worst part of the day. You could almost pretend that Dave's warm body was pressed up against you but once you opened your eyes, the small smile that had started on your lips faded away. Another day, another empty bed.

You dragged yourself through the motions of your daily ritual only for Dave's sake. You brush your teeth, shower, and dress in one of Dave's ridiculous shirts that you both had bought on your trip to Disneyland two years before you even got together. It brought back memories and it was one of the last times that all of your friends had gotten together before you all went your separate ways across the globe. You recall all of the shitty rides that the bastard had convinced you to get on with him and you smile as a warmth filled your body.

It was short-lived as the silence of the house descended upon you and you closed your eyes, taking a deep breath before grabbing your keys and abruptly leaving the house. You needed some fresh air to clear your head.

 _3:45pm_

You watch as the small, orange kitten explored its new home and you sit down on the hardwood floor as you set up the carrier. You didn't let the small baby out of your sight for even a second, who knows what the demon child would get up to.  
Honestly, you don't really know how to explain yourself other than the fact that you had gotten pretty lonely and as the kitten waddled up to you, you can't help but to think that you made the right choice

 _3:57pm_

\- carcinoGeneticist [CG] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at 15:57 -

CG: SO.

CG: I KNOW YOU'RE PROBABLY BUSY WITH DIRECTING AND OTHER THINGS THAT I DON'T REALLY KNOW THAT MUCH ABOUT BUT I WENT OUTSIDE TODAY. ASTONISHING, I KNOW.

CG: ANYWAYS, WE NOW HAVE A KITTEN.

CG: SO, YEAH. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO NAME THE GUY YET BUT WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT WHEN YOU GET BACK.

CG: IN THE MEANTIME, HERE'S A PICTURE TO SATIATE YOUR CURIOSITY THAT I'M SURE YOU'RE EXPERIENCING BY NOW.

CG: /OrangeBallOfEvil

CG: WELL, I GUESS I'LL LEAVE YOU TO DO WHATEVER IT IS DIRECTORS DO OTHER THAN DIRECT SHITTY MOVIES THAT HAVE NO REAL PLOT.

CG: I LOVE YOU, DAVE

\- carcinoGeneticist [CG] ceased pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at 16:03 -

\- turntechGodhead [TG] started pestering carcinoGeneticist [CG] at 19:08 -

TG: fuck

TG: im here

TG: that's gay

TG: getting a kitten

TG: especially a ginger kitten

TG: if i come back and you have no soul, im blaming that little fuzzball

TG: hell, the small demon probably will take over everything

TG: come home, catch you in bed with that kitten

TG: therell be a maury episode dedicated to it

TG: 'gay troll caught cheating on director boyfriend with kitten'

TG: itll be between dr phil breaking up yet another mother/daughter fight and maury telling three different men that the chick they slept with had a baby and one of them is a daddy

TG: i mean

TG: i know you wouldn't cheat on me with a kitty kitty, but like

TG: man idk

TG: tbh im done directing for the day, so ill just sit around and wait to talk to you

TG: unless i can talk to the gay karkalicious troll

TG: speaking of which, are you two present?

TG: i swear, its like youre barry and other barry

TG: get it?

CG: OKAY. LET ME STOP YOU RIGHT THERE BEFORE YOU EVEN BEGIN COMPARING ME TO A CYBORG.

CG: AND BEASTILIATY?

TG: OH PRAISE THE LAWRD HE ALIVE

TG: and i couldnt help myself

TG: bad, tasteless jokes are my thing

TG: i missed you, gorgeous

CG: WELL, IT'S A GOOD THING THAT I MISSED YOU AND YOUR MUG TOO.

TG: i would hope that you missed me

TG: so, hey

TG: barry

TG: and other barry

TG: its me

TG: your sexy katya with the removable robo vagina

CG: YOU'RE NOT EVEN RUSSIAN, DAVE.

TG: cant a man dream

TG: besides

TG: its been awhile since ive been in a russian

TG: my sexy, cherry flavored russian

CG: OH MY GOD.

CG: THAT BRINGS ME TO ANOTHER SUBJECT THAT WE SHOULD DISCUSS RIGHT AWAY.

CG:

CG: I MIGHT BE PREGNANT.

TG: youre what

TG: YOURE WHAT

TG: Y O U

TG: W H A T

CG: I'M PREGNANT, OKAY?

TG: i

TG: oh god

TG: oh fuck

TG: oh jesus fucking christ in a minivan full of kfc chicken

CG: DAVE?

TG: oh my living cock

TG: oh shitting duck balloons

TG: youre pregnant

TG: you are pregnant

CG: YES, I AM PREGNANT AND SURPRISE, SURPRISE, IT'S YOURS, FUCKNUT.

TG: well, i would hope so

TG: cause im almost 800% positive youve only been fucking me

TG: and id be very ashamed of that small little panicky thing if i wasnt the father

TG: just be like

TG: oh fuck

TG: gimme a sec

CG:

CG: IT'S BEEN A SECOND. WHAT'RE WE GOING TO DO? I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT HUMANS AND TROLLS COULD REPRODUCE TOGETHER.

TG: i just googled it

TG: yeah, they can, however, its usually trolls getting humans pregnant

TG: not the other way around

TG: um, idk what were gonna do

TG: you should schedule a doctors appointment, see how far along you are and if everything is good so far though

CG: DAVE, I REALLY WISH YOU WERE HERE. I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT RAISING GRUBS.

TG: ill have to talk to my coworkers and everything, but im getting a plane ticket for this weekend

TG: i am not letting you be alone during this

CG: YOU'RE COMING HOME?

TG: yes, im coming home

TG: what else would i be doing, joining the kkk and shaving my head to rename myself alec baldwin

CG: DAVE, OH MY GOD.

CG: WELL, NOW THAT THE WOULD BE ROMANTIC MOMENT IS RUINED BECAUSE OF *SOMEONE* IT'S GETTING KIND OF LATE AND I'M HUNGRY. I SHOULD GET OFF AND MAKE SOMETHING. UNLESS, YOU WANT TO CALL ME?

TG: ill call you

TG: cant wait to hear your voice

\- turntechGodhead [TG] ceased pestering carcinoGeneticist [CG] at 19:34 -

After closing the app, a genuine smile graced your lips and you walked off to the kitchen as you waited for his call. Soon, 'What's New Pussycat' rang out through the kitchen and you answered your phone right away. You're not really sure when that song had become Dave's ring tone but you weren't in the mood to change it.

"Dave?" Your voice came out gruff from disuse and you cleared your throat before trying again. "Dave?"

"BWAH, BWAH, WHAT'S NEW PUSSYCAT!?" Dave's voice had never been more pleasing to hear, nor had it ever been as dorky. He let out a small chuckle. "Hey, Karkat." He spoke normally this time, and it was as if every and all boners united and made a heavenly choir.

"So, you're the asshole who changed your own ring tone to something so annoying that I'm pretty sure it just gave our grub brain damage." You drawled out slowly in an annoyed tone.

"Well, first of all, our unborn child is becoming educated, and besides that, it probably can't hear yet. Maybe. I don't know. But, you should set up an appointment to see a doctor. Unless you rather wait until I get there so that I can come with you." There was the sound of bedsprings squeaking, and it was clear to you that Dave was currently in bed.

You pause as you let this information sink in and you put a pizza in the oven, "David Elisabeth Strider, I swear to God if you're masturbating while talking to me, then I'll… Well, I don't really know what I'd do but we're supposed to be talking about important things and if I know you half as well as I think I do, I know you're probably getting off to my voice and picturing me naked." You frowned as you sat down at the kitchen table.

"Well, I'm picturing you naked now, since you brought it up."

"You're impossible." You huffed softly as you made yourself comfortable. "And I have an appointment scheduled on Monday."

"I'm not even masturbating, you're safe." He chuckled.

Your stomach lurched and you groaned quietly as your eyes darted to the shitty R2D2 trash can that sat innocently beside the table, "Shut the… fuck up." You pulled the trash can close and there went your breakfast.

"Karkat?! Karkat, are you okay!? Babe?!" Dave sounded pretty concerned, and so very much heard you lose your breakfast.

You sent a small glare towards your phone and your stomach lurched again, this time you only dry-heaved and you groaned. The acrid taste in your mouth was overwhelming and you just really wanted it to stop.

"Karkat, when you're able to, get some water and lay down, okay? I'll be flying in in about two or three days, so you won't have to be alone for very long." Dave's voice was riddled with concern and worry, he usually babied you when you were sick, and it probably killed him to not be able to be there to take care of you.

You cleaned yourself up after the dry heaving finally stopped and then you laid down on the cool linoleum. It felt nice on your hot cheeks. "Are you going to hang up on me now?" You asked in a voice that was rougher than usual.

"No, I'm not going to hang up on you. Honestly, I'm half-tempted see if you would be willing to Skype call so that I can make sure you're okay."

You snorted a little, "You worry too much, Strider." You pulled your device away from your ear and you hit the video option anyways. Soon, you were staring at your pasty grey face and you made a face at the camera.

"What a sexy face you got there." Dave joked, turning his video on. Sure enough, he was in bed, wearing clothes for once. Dave was never known to wear more than a pair of boxers to bed. But here he was, with a shirt on, in bed, with messy hair and that dorky smile of his. It made your heart pound heavily in your chest.

"I missed you." You finally whisper and you wiped at your eyes when tears threatened to fall down.

"I missed you, too." He whispered back, moving to lay down. "I'll be there soon, Karkat, you don't have to miss me for much longer."

"Lalonde and Egbert are going to have to fight me for your attention when you get back. I don't care that she released another wizard book and I don't care that Egbert finally met Nicolas Cage and realized that, hey, he's a shitty actor and he wasted years of his life admiring the man. I just want you to pay attention to me for at least a day before you eventually go back around and talk to your friends. I just want a day with you." You whispered.

"Honestly, the only other person you'll have to fight for for my attention will have to be our unborn child, and I'll be with you for at least four days before I catch up with friends. You're what matters most to me." He whispered back.

You shifted on the floor uncomfortably and sigh, "I feel like a dictator. If you really want to spend your first few days back with your friends, it's okay. I just want some time too." You gazed at Dave's face gently.

"You're not a dictator, babe. I'm wanting to spend time with you because it's what I want. I missed you, and I'm going to spend time with you." He smiled softly at him. "I'm going to spend time with the both of you, and we're going to discuss what we'll be doing."

"Okay, Strider. That sounds agreeable." You ran your thumb over his face gently and sigh again. "When will you have to go back?"

"Not sure, I'll have to discuss it with some people, producers and such. Might be two months, might be longer. I'm just going to say that it's-"

"I want to go with you when you have to go back." You interrupted. "I know you won't have a lot of time for me but I'll feel better if we can at least share a bed together."

He swallowed hard, "Really? You'll come back with me?" His voice was filled with relief, and his eyes were starting to glisten.

"Yes, really, you asshole. Why wouldn't I want to be with you?" You huffed as an orange kitten climbed onto your chest and pawed at the screen. "Brave Sir Robin would like to come with us too."

"Brave Sir Robin can come with us, and he'll share a bed with us if you don't mind." He gave you a small smile. "But, you've never offered to come with me, and besides that, I've always been worried about your job."

Guilt blossomed in the center of your chest and you looked away from the screen, "I just… The Hollywood scene may be for some people but I don't really like the idea of having your assistants flock all over me and besides, I'd feel more like a bed warmer than anything." You worry your lip as you think about LA. "But, I suppose I could find something to do while you're busy directing people around."

"Karkat, you won't be a bed warmer, and I could make sure my assistants don't flock you." He whispered softly.

"Okay." A small smile stirred at your lips and you looked back at him, "I may have gotten fired a week ago from my job."

"And there's my classy Kitten that I know and love." He gave a loving look. "I'll stay long enough to join you at your appointment and have catch up time with you, and some friends, then we'll come back here together "

You roll your eyes at your boyfriend and you sat up a little, "Yeah, okay. And for the record, I only got fired because they found out that I had mafia connections." A thought occurred to you and you frowned. "What if the media find out about me and my… family? Won't it ruin your image?"

"First of all, if the media started digging into your shit to try and ruin my image, they've got another thing coming. Besides, I've got mafia connections as well, and it's not just from you, so if anything, I'd rather my own image get tainted by my own hand than some TMZ intern trying to throw dirt at you."

You purse your lips and you take your pizza out of the oven and you flipped the camera to show him it, "Jealous, Strider?" You smirked a little.

"Yes, because I have Chinese food and I miss having you cook for me and babying me because of my lack of kitchen skills." He said sarcastically, smiling lovingly at him.

"Flattery will get you everywhere." You cut your pizza up and then sat down at the table with it. "Are you sure you can't fly back earlier?"

"I can try and fly after shooting tomorrow, but I'll end up there pretty late at night. You'd probably be asleep when I get home."

"I'll leave the door unlocked for you." You assure him.

"Thank you." He smiled softly.


	2. Chapter 2

_March 13th, 2017_  
 _03:42am_

In the midst of a dream about toxic jelly beans, you stirred awake and you blinked wearily at the bright alarm clock that rested near your bed. You had half the mind to throw it and its bright ass across the room, but the sound of wood creaking stopped you. You held your breath as you strain your ears for another sound.

There it was again. It was yet another sound of wood creaking, which was quickly followed by the sound of something being knocked over.

You lurch up in bed and you grab one of Dave's shitty swords before getting up and going to investigate. It was very dark, and with the sounds being slow and steady, they were going towards the bedroom. They were all coming from downstairs. However, they were nearing the stairs.

You toed quietly to where the stairs were and you pressed your back flush against the nearest wall as you waited for the intruder.

Soon enough, the sounds were coming up the stairs. It got up towards the top and stopped. That's when a familiar voice rang through the darkness.

"Karkat?" The voice whispered softly. Its familiarity showed that it was Dave, who had just gotten home.

You drop the sword and you turn to face the stairs in surprise, "Dave?"

Dave moved, hugging you gently. "Yes, it's me." He whispered, feeling around behind you before turning the hallway light on. He still had messy hair, and his shades were on, but he had a real and warm smile on his face. All just for you.

An ache formed in your chest, he was still as radiant as ever and you could bet that you looked like shit from having just woken up, but you pull him down and you mash your lips to his hungrily anyways. You had missed the warm feel of his lips moving against yours, you were desperate for any kind of affection from the man. You weren't sure if this was because of you or your hormones from the pregnancy, even though you don't think that they'd affect you so suddenly, but it could explain why you were so upset with his leaving.

Dave didn't pull away until you were both in high need of air and you were pretty thankful for this as you watched him take his shades off to reveal the pretty ruby red eyes of his.

You took his shades from him gently and put them in the pocket of your crab-patterned pajamas before giving him a sleepy smile, "I thought you were an intruder, Strider." You admit freely.

"The only intruding I did was me intruding into your heart." He whispered, kissing you sweetly before picking up his fallen swords. "Glad you were able to protect yourself from the forces of gay." He smirked, leading you back to your shared bedroom once the light was turned off.

"The only time I'll ever touch one of your shitty swords, Strider." You warned softly. "And it wasn't even that useful in protecting me from your gay."

It was clear that he was somewhat tired from his late flight and you took pity on him as he undressed into only his weird apple juice boxers. You weren't entirely sure where he had gotten them but you suspected Egbert had a hand in this.

While you were busy wondering about them, Dave had put the sword back and crawled into bed. "I know, but still, I rather you make sure to stay protected." He reached for you, a small smile on his face.

"I'm pretty capable of protecting myself." You remind him as you crawled into the bed and laid down in his arms.

"I know. I still want to make sure you're protected. You're not just protecting yourself now." He whispered, his hand very slowly resting on your stomach.

The movement made you tense up since you had temporarily forgotten that you were pregnant and you looked up into Dave's eyes curiously, "Does that mean you think we should keep it?"

He was quiet, pulling you closer to him. "I don't want to force you to keep it if you don't want to, but I like the thought of having a baby with you." He mumbled, gently rubbing your stomach subconsciously. "So… yeah. Yeah, that means I think that we should keep it." He kissed your head lovingly. "We can talk about this in the morning, though, I don't want to force you to keep it if you rather not have a baby right now."

You pull away just far enough for you to gaze into his crimson eyes, which almost seemed to glow in the dark, "Strider?" You start as you unwound one of his arms from around you and you took his hand, gazing at the milky white of his skin. Just the thought of your grub possibly being both human and troll made your head hurt. How does that even work? What would it even look like? "What if the grub is grossly disfigured? What if it comes out looking like a spawn from hell?" You sigh quietly. "The media would have a field day if they found out we're the parents of the next antichrist."

Dave let out a snort, doing his best not to laugh. "Karkat, our baby won't be grossly disfigured. For one, you're the one having it, so it's already got hot genes, then there's my genes, and from what you've gone on and on about, I seem to be the sexiest person alive." He kissed your face lovingly, smiling at you in the dark. "The only field day the media will have is them wondering how we produced a god."

You rolled your eyes at the ball of marshmallow fluff that was your boyfriend and gazed up at the ceiling with another sigh, "What happens if we decide later on that we don't want the grub? We're not even married, what if we break up?" Your eyes flickered back to Dave's face and you gently ran your thumb over his lips gently. They were smooth and you wondered briefly if he had been using chapstick again. "I don't want the grub to have to deal with growing up in a broken home."

"We're not going to break up, Karkat." He spoke urgently, holding you close to him. "If we decide we don't want the grub… then we can see if one of our friends can raise it, but I'm fairly certain that we'll raise it together. It'll have a perfectly stable home, even if we're not married. We'll get there eventually."

As he spoke, you rested your head on his chest and listened to his heart beat with a frown. Yours didn't beat half as slow as his did and on most days, it caused you some worries but now, it was more comforting to hear how calm he was about this new predicament, "I think I'd like to keep this grub. We're more than financially stable enough to take care of it and even though you're busy half the time with filming, I'll be able to take care of it since I just write music for John's shitty band." You mused softly.

He listened quietly, stroking your hair. "I don't want you to have to raise the grub on your own. I can try and get out of some filming to stay home and help." He yawned, moving and holding you close as he pulled the blanket over the two of you and you pulled the blanket until it was up to your neck.

"So, we're in agreement then? We're making this happen? We're having a grub together?" You kiss the hollow of his throat and shifted to meet his eyes again.

"We're having a grub together." He smiled, stroking your hair as his eyes looked into yours lovingly.

You relaxed into him for only thirty seconds before you shot up and grabbed your device off of the bedside table. You had a memo to open.

carcinoGeneticist [CG] opened memo on board DIPSHIT AND THE DIRECTOR: gay edition bc kitkat cant be straight if his life depended on it

CG: SO, I GUESS THIS AS GOOD A TIME AS ANY TO OPEN THIS GODFORSAKEN MEMO AND STRIDER, I DON'T RECALL GIVING YOU PERMISSION TO NAME IT.

turntechGodhead [TG] responded to the memo -

TG: lmao  
TG: barry and other barry are mad  
CG: THIS AGAIN? I THOUGHT WE WENT OVER THIS ALREADY. I AM IN NO WAY A CYBORG.  
TG: you are in bed, robo-vagina  
CG: I DON'T EVEN HAVE A VAGINA. IT'S CALLED A NOOK, DAVE.  
TG: tomato, potato  
CG: THOSE THINGS ARE *COMPLETELY* DIFFERENT FROM EACH OTHER.  
TG: unlike a vagina and a nook, which, anatomically, are the same thing

\- ectoBiologist [EB] responded to the memo -

EB: hey guys!  
EB: oh, uh.  
EB: what did i walk in on?  
TG: everything, john  
TG: everything  
CG: YOU'VE NEVER EVEN SET ONE FOOT CLOSE TO A VAGINA, DAVID. THEY ARE VERY DIFFERENT.  
CG: FOR EXAMPLE, A NOOK IS SMALLER THAN A VAGINA AND I DON'T GROW HAIR ALL OVER IT.  
TG: they look very similar  
TG: your bulge is practically a very large, tentacle-shaped clitoris  
EB: oh wow.  
EB: i think i should just go.  
CG: NOW LOOK WHAT YOU DID, STRIDER. PEOPLE ARE LEAVING BEFORE WE CAN EVEN MAKE A PROPER ANNOUNCEMENT.

\- arachnidsGrip [AG] responded to the memo -

AG: Hahahahahahahaha!  
AG: God, you two are still hilarious.  
TG: oh fuck  
AG: Anyways, I'm here for the announcement.  
AG: Joooooooohn, is that you?  
EB: vriska?  
EB: how have you been doing?  
EB: did you get that autograph i sent you?  
AG: Yes, I did. I love it, thank you.  
TG: KARKAT THEYRE INFECTING THIS WITH THEIR FANGIRLING HELP  
CG: FUCK. OKAY, YOU TWO NEED TO STOP. I THOUGHT I WAS BAD WITH MY TROLL WILL SMITH OBSESSION.  
CG: WHEN ARE YOU TWO GOING TO GET OUT AND WATCH ACTUAL MOVIES THAT DON'T SUCK?

\- timeausTestified [TT] replied to the memo -

TT: Did someone say they want Dirk Strider to suck their dick?  
CG: OH MY GOD.  
TT: Anyways, I heard there was an announcement, and I'm here to see what this all unfolds to.  
T: Do I need to sit down for it?  
CG: WELL. THERE IS A PRETTY HIGH POSSIBILITY THAT DAVE IS LOOKING AT DEVICES THAT ARE BASICALLY LIKE PRISON CELLS THAT GRUBS SLEEP IN AT NIGHT AND REALLY AT ANY TIME BECAUSE WHAT THE FUCK. WHEN DON'T THEY SLEEP?  
TT: Ah.  
TT: Didn't know Dave had a thing for fatherhood.  
TT: Mazel Tov.  
CG: EVEN YOUR BROTHER IS IMPOSSIBLE, DAVE. YOU CAN HANDLE THIS FROM HERE.  
TG: how, you pretty much just told everyone that were baby planning, its obvious that you have a grub growing in you  
EB: wait.  
EB: you guys are going to have a baby?  
EB: won't it be like… deformed or something?

CG banned EB from responding to the memo.

\- tipsyGnostalgic [TG] responded to the memo -

TG: omg

TG: davey and kitty are having a baby

TT: Yes, Roxy, they're having a baby.

TG: awe, thats so cute

TG: have you seen pics of human/troll babies?

CG: SEND THEM NOW. SO THAT EGBERT DOESN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT HIS GODSON OR GODDAUGHTER WILL BE DEFORMED.

TG: /TrollHumanBabies

TG: /TrollHumanBabyInSunhat

TG: /TrollHumanBabyAfterBirth

TG: /MartiniGlassWithAKittenInIt

TG: oops, wrong pic

CG: THAT'S NOT EVEN A BABY AT ALL. WE DID ALSO ADOPT A KITTEN THOUGH.  
CG: HE IS ACCURATELY NAMED BRAVE SIR ROBIN.

TG: awe that's so cute

TG: what are these precious baby pictures  
TG: what is  
TG: KARKAT HELP WHAT IS HAPPENING TO MY EYES  
CG: THOSE ARE TEARS, DAVE. CALM THE FUCK DOWN.  
TG: WHY ARE THERE TEARS  
CG: IT'S THE PREGNANCY HORMONES. THEY MUST BE CONTAGIOUS.  
TT: Hahahaha, Dave caught hormones.

TG banned TT from responding to the memo.

TG unbanned TT from responding to the memo.

TG: sorry, that was immature on my part  
TT: Don't sweat it.  
CG: WELL, NOW THAT WE'VE GOTTEN THAT TAKEN CARE OF. DAVE AND I ARE MOVING TO LA TOGETHER SO THAT I CAN BE NEAR HIM WHILE HE WORKS ON DIRECTING HIS NEW MOVIE.  
TT: Have fun, don't get mugged, don't do drugs out of a prostitute's ass.  
TG: dirk what the hell  
TT: Just watching out for my baby brother.

carcinoGeneticist [CG] closed memo on board DIPSHIT AND THE DIRECTOR: gay edition bc kitkat cant be straight if his life depended on it

You set your device down and sigh as you moved back into Dave's arms, "Your family are all creeps. Except for Roxy. Roxy is okay." You mumble.

"Roxy is nice, she's also fun to hang out with. She's also no longer drinking, so that's even better." Dave whispered, holding you close as he yawned, cuddling close. "Hey, baby?"

"Yeah, Dave?" You yawn yourself and close your tired eyes. It had been a long day and you were exhausted.

"Tomorrow, do you think we could think of names?" He asked, cuddling closer to you as he fell asleep, not even waiting for you to answer. You kissed his head gently and fell asleep beside him.

 _March 13th, 2017_  
 _07:29am_

After a long, restful night of sleep, you made breakfast for Dave and yourself. It ended up being bacon, eggs, and hashbrowns. As you waited for the elusive blond, you dunk your bacon into your decaffeinated coffee and read the newspaper tiredly as you ate.

Dave soon made his glorious presence known by hugging you from behind, looking at your mug. "That's decaf, right?" He mumbled sleepily, nuzzling you with a soft hum.

"Of fucking course it is." You reply crankily. "I wouldn't cause any potential harm to our grub. What do you take me for, Strider?" You pass him a cup of caffeinated coffee with a grumble.

He took it, starting to drink it. "Wasn't saying you would harm-" He started coughing. "What the HELL is in this?!"

A smirk slowly stole across your lips, "Oh that? Well, I thought you liked hot and spicy things?" You asked innocently.

He looked at you, his face was turning red. "How much hot sauce did you put in this?" He asked.

"Just a few drops." You shrug.

"Just checking." He took his mug, drinking his coffee once again.

You stopped what you were doing and you had to just stare at your boyfriend for a few long moments, wondering what the fuck was going through his mind. "You don't have to drink it, Dave."

"Maybe I don't, but I don't know if I'll get anymore caffeine after this."

A frown crossed your face and you gently took the coffee cup from his hands before replacing it with your own, "You don't have to stop drinking caffeine because of me, Dave." You pour out his mug and set it in the sink.

"Well, I don't want you to end up making some coffee that's caffeinated by accident, I'm worried about the two of you." He whispered, drinking from the mug slowly.

"Well, I was thinking about maybe calling it quits on coffee for a little while anyways." You gently push back a few strands of his hair. "If you stop drinking caffeine, you're going to be a zombie whenever you have to go to work."

He moved, laying his head against you gently and you cradle him close for a little while, "What about Camille for a girl?" You decided to change the subject.

"Camille?" He asked, glancing at you. "It's pretty.

"Or maybe Marlene." You shrug.

He thought for a long moment. "Marlene. I like that." He whispered.

"What should we do for a boy?" You gently took his hands and placed them on your hips before resting your own on his shoulders as you swayed around the kitchen with him.

"Either Regulus or Jace, both seem like good names." He held you close, resting his head on yours. You roll your eyes a tiny bit, "Jace, huh? What if the kid turns out to be afraid of ducks because we gave him that name?"

"Well, it could be worse, his best friend could be gay for him then end up going for an Indonesian with a glitter obsession who owns a cat named Chairman Meow." He joked.

"Well, I like Jace." You mused. "Jace or Marlene Strider-Vantas it is."

"We've got baby names." He whispered softly, kissing you. You kissed him back and in that moment, you felt like nothing could go wrong.


	3. Chapter 3

_April 13th, 2017_

 _02:41 p.m._

KARKAT == Be Dave

You are now Dave Strider, however, you don't recall ever not being Dave. Either way, you're Dave, and currently, you were in the studio and holding Karkat close to you with your arm around his shoulders as you fumbled around on your cell phone with your free hand. The troll had come by for lunch since you had forgotten to pack yours and you were in an argument with your lead actress. Luckily for you, Karkat had a way about him that made calming you down easy for him, which also turned out to be good for your career. Heaven forbid the public get a boner over hearing about you and a celebrity brawling on set.

You buried your face into Karkat's neck, mumbling to him yet another thank you for coming to your aid. Directing isn't as easy as people made it out to be, and without Karkat there to help you, you don't know what you would've done.

"She wants a fucking chocolate fountain in her dressing room?" Karkat asked one of your assistants irritably, since they had shown up at some point on your orders. Then he turned back to you with a deep set scowl on his face. "That's stupid. She should be doing her job, not making yours more difficult than it already is. Maybe you should get a different lead actress, or at least threaten to."

"I've been thinking about it." You admit freely as you gently pushed back a lock of his red hair from his forehead. "I might call up Calliope to see if she'll do it. She's been in a few of my movies, and she's not only fun to work with, but she's also a great actress." You gazed at him worriedly and moved so that your head was fixed on his shoulder. "I mean, we haven't been able to shoot any good scenes with our current actress always bitching and leaving."

"I think you should try to relax, Strider. And isn't Calliope the one with the shitty older brother?" Karkat asked as he carefully maneuvered and pushed you into your expensive armchair, which was kind of a relief. It dulled the growing ache in your back. "Stressing isn't good for your health, babe."

One of your assistant's stepped forward, it was one that had been with you since your first time directing. If you remember correctly, his wife had just had a baby and you mailed him a fruit basket in congratulations and you wonder briefly if he had ate it all yet. "Mr. Strider? Should we inform Miss Clearwater that we will no longer be requiring her services anymore?" Monty asked.

"Yes, please do, and can you please call Calliope and ask her to meet me here tomorrow at 6:15pm sharp?" You rubbed your head, looking at your pregnant boyfriend. "Also, you're thinking of Caliborn. Calliope is his sister, and she's also the girl that Roxy's been trying to work up the courage to ask out for the past month and a half." You lay your head on the arm of your armchair, reaching for him. "I wanna cuddle."

"You always want to cuddle." Karkat teased you half-heartedly as he slowly sat down on your lap and pulled you so that your head was back in his neck. You smiled softly, kissing his neck as you breathed in the scent of his strawberry body wash.

"That's because you're fun to cuddle with." You whisper as you moved your hand down to slowly rub at his stomach. "When's your next appointment? I could try and get time off to join you."

"Well, I'm getting an ultrasound next week. Nothing major, just a few pictures of our grub, if they can even get the wand past my thick skin." He frowned visibly at the thought and you gently threaded your fingers through his hair to comfort him. Sure enough, his eyes became heavily lidded and he leaned into your hand gratefully.

"I want to go in with you in case we're able to see our grub." You whispered, pressing your soft lips to his forehead. Your fingers kept threading through his locks, feeling their softness. Even for a troll, Karkat's hair was unnaturally soft, and it was something you loved.

"I want you to come too." He admitted as he kissed the tip of your nose. It was an affectionate gesture that Karkat had seen in a human movie and he didn't seem to want to stop doing it even after the odd looks that some gave the two of you. To you, it was endearing and you smiled as you rub the scruff of your stubble under his chin.

"I'll come, I promise." You whispered and you kissed his neck in just the right spot.

Almost immediately, a soft purr started up in his chest and you watched as his eyes fluttered shut slowly, "Dave…" He whispered hoarsely as he gripped onto your blazer, this kind of made you worry because of his claws but you decided not to say anything. You could always get new ones.

"Yes, Karkat?" You glanced down at him as your brows furrowed together in confusion. He was rarely ever like this and it made you worry about him a bit. You pulled the smaller male closer to you and you worried your lower lip as you watched him.

Karkat opened his eyes again and he looked at you with molten hot eyes, "I want you so badly." He whispered.

You felt your dick twitch in your pants at his words and your face heated up, making you wonder if it was actually his eyes heating your face and not the immediate fluster you were feeling. You swallowed, noting that your mouth felt dry, "You want me?" You heard yourself whisper back, moving to gaze at Karkat more easily.

Karkat nodded and he shifted close enough for you to feel his own squirming bulge. You got up quickly, taking his arm before dragging him across the lot to your trailer, doing your best to keep your uprising arousal at bay.

Once you two were in there, you shut the door and pressed Karkat against it, your lips locking hungrily in a tangle of teeth and lust. You moved to get his pants off, taking a quick note to see that he hadn't bothered to put on underwear today.

A moan erupts from him as your fingers find their way into his nook, moving to stretch him as you used one hand to remove your own pants. This was the neediest sex you two will ever participate in.

Your lips move from Karkat's mouth and to his neck, kissing and gently biting as you removed your fingers, red and sticky with his arousal, soon pressing your now-erect arousal into him, thrusting fervently.

Within a matter of minutes, you two were a panting and moaning mess, the scent of sweat was slowly filling the trailer as Karkat clawed your blazer off. You pulled his shirt off him as well, pressing him harder against the door with each thrust, causing the door to gently rock against its hinges.

With a loud moan, he reached between the two of you, pumping his bulge quickly. He was feverish sputtering out a series of curses mixed with your name. Not your typical 'Strider', either.

You hit his g-spot, which from your Google searches was called a 'seed-flap', whatever the hell that meant, and it was all over. Karkat came, his cum spilling from your stomach just below your pectorals down to your mid-thighs. His nook tightened reflexively, pushing you to the edge with him. You held him close as you both rode out your separate climaxes.

Afterwards, you pulled him close, sliding onto the floor in a sweaty and filthy mess. It looked there had been murder, what with the red gunk on the floors and wall. You gave a breathy chuckle as you listened to the sound of your mixed pants.

A gentle, loving expression crossed your face as your heart pounded away in your chest and you gazed at him with a smile, "Hey." You finally whisper as you moved your clean hand to stroke his hair and the other, well, you smeared some of his cum on his forehead with a wicked grin. "Ah, svenya."

Karkat groaned softly and he shifted away from your thumb, scrunching his nose up at you. You thought it was the cutest thing ever and it warmed your heart. "Strider, s'gross." He mumbled sleepily and you held him closer to you, if that were even possible.

"You secretly like it." You whispered back, kissing him before using your clean hand to remove your shades. You tucked them under the remains of your shirt.

"Oh, yes." He agreed with a deep rumble in his chest. "I sure do love having my cum smeared on my forehead. I'm not fucking Simba and this is not the Lion King."

"But can you feel the love tonight?" Your eyes glanced over him for a reaction and you moved to reach for a towel that you totally hadn't remembered mid-sexy times.

The troll squinted his cherry red eyes at you and pushed your face away from him, which only made you grin widely, "The love? Are you talking about you sticking your dick in me?" He asked, huffing.

A gasp left you playfully. "Karkat! The baby might hear you!" You tried to move closer to him, gently laying the newly-retrieved towel on him. It would be his early birthday present. "Happy early Birthday, Karkat."

Karkat made a show of placing his hands over his flat stomach and he gave you a flippant look before looking down at himself, "Hey kid, your dad and I have hot, raunchy sex every day and he fucking cries every time he cums."

"I don't fucking cry every time I cum." You snorted.

"Okay, Barry and other Barry." He flashed his pointy teeth at you in a victorious grin and you felt your dick stir in renewed interest.

"Don't leave your vagina in the sink, Katya." You whisper into his ear, smirking as you bit the lobe tenderly.

"Oh my god." You could tell that he was rolling his eyes at you by this point. "At least I don't have some MMORPG girl as my 'wife'."

"Well, actually, she's his bride. Krieger and her never got married under the grounds of it not being legal. So he fucks all of his experiments, hence why Piggley and his crotch both were radioactive."

"Y'know, I actually never connected that." He sighed softly as he finally picked up the towel and wiped his cum off his legs and nook, which was very so much like a vagina. Thank you very much. "I feel nauseous again." He levelled you with a look. "Are you wearing a new body spray?"

"No? Still the same body spray. Why do you ask?"

"It's giving me a headache and I'm pretty sure that that's why I'm nauseous." He huffed.

"I'll stop wearing it, then." You mumbled.

"Really?" He pursed his lips together a bit. "But isn't that your favorite kind?"

"Yeah, it is, but you're my boyfriend and baby mama, and I want to make sure you feel better. If that means I switch body sprays for awhile, then I'll live."

He sighed quietly and slowly stood up, which gave you quite a good view of his vag-nook and you whistled softly. He gave you a quick glare in return and walked off towards the kitchen.

"Hey, gorgeous, do you want your clothes back?" You called to him, getting up and wiping yourself off with the towel, doing your best to clean the floor and the trailer door before getting your pants and boxers on. You then picked up your shirt, wincing at how it was torn basically to shreds. You'd need a new shirt and you carried the remains as you sought Karkat out to tease him about it.

When you found him, he was checking his shitty blackberry, he had refused your countless offers to upgrade it and his eyebrows were knit together in confusion as he read whatever message was left on it.

"What are you looking at, clothes destroyer?" You glanced at his blackberry with a frown. One of these days, you're going to get him a brand new phone and he'll never see that damned blackberry again.

Sadly, he didn't react at all to your joke, he just looked up at you with the smallest hint of a smile on his reddened lips, "Well, my mother and father's visas finally got approved. They're going to stay with us for awhile until they find their own place, is that okay?"

"Is that okay? Of course it's okay." You scoff as you hugged him close and kissed his forehead with a smile before you looked at him. "Do they know that we're having a baby?"

"Yeah, they were the first people that I told, besides you." He murmured softly. "My uncle Jack might swing by too, depends on if he's busy with his 'crew' or not."

"Isn't he the one with the gay- GANG! I meant gang!" You meant gay, you've heard him babble on and on about Jack and 'Damarius', who, at first you thought were close friends, but from Karkat's stories, Jack has a boner for him.

He pulled away and frowned at you, "Dave, don't pick a fight with him. You know how he is, he has a few stabby issues." He warned you quietly.

"I'll try not to fight him." You mumble softly.


	4. Chapter 4

_April 18th, 2017_

 _09:12am_

DAVE : Switch from second person to third person.

He didn't really know what the business of switching narratives was all about but he was down for whatever, that is, as long as he could catch a few more snoozes before being woken up by a dirty chili dog thief.

DAVE : Switch to the chili dog thief.

Karkat didn't know what he had expected for Dave to do in preparation for his parents moving in with them but this? This was not what he had expected at all.

Four beefy looking men were sitting around an elm coffee table in the parlor with a blue schematic unfolded on top of it. The schematic was weighted down with two nice crab statues that Dave had given him over a year ago as some kind of "ironic" gift. He hadn't cared for the bullshit reason Dave had given him at the time but he liked them anyways and cherished them.

One of the men made a flagrant gesture to the schematic and Karkat blinked as he looked down at the white scribbles on it. It looked like… That couldn't be right.

There was a craftsman-style house situated right next to his and Dave's very own Tudor-style home but Dave had bought a shit ton of acres and there wasn't another house within a mile of their home. He moved closer to the schematic and on the top in red lowercase letters read: scott and anyas house.

The words made him a bit queasy but he shoved it down. He trusted that Dave knew what he was doing, he just wasn't too sure what his parents would think upon seeing that a house had been built for them. Either way, he decided to stay out of it and made his way into the kitchen to find Dave's chili dog leftovers. He was hungry and he would be damned if he waited for his permission to eat it.

It took him two minutes to acquire the chili dog but once he did, his stomach grumbled and his mouth began to water but before he could even close the marble refrigerator door, a hand landed on his shoulder and he tensed up as he looked behind himself and into the tired red eyes of his compatriot. He had been caught red handed with Dave's chili dog. He figured that right about now that he would be royally fucked but instead of getting angry, the man just gave him a kiss and stole a bottle of apple juice from the fridge.

"You hungry, sweet mama?" He asked in a hoarse whisper as he gently ran his fingers through his hair.

Karkat greedily leaned into his boyfriend's naked chest and he leeched off of his body heat, "A better question would be, when am I not hungry?"

"That's true, we haven't had any leftovers in the last few weeks." Dave mused as he wrapped his arms around Karkat's waist and hugged him close. "So, what's up?"

"Well, let's see here," He started crankily after taking a bite of spicy goodness. "I was woken up at who the fuck knows o'clock because my insides decided that hey, it'll be a terrific idea to expel themselves into the nearest potted plant. Which, by the way, I already threw out. So don't make a face at me." He warned. "And if that wasn't enough, I decided to make the trek downstairs and into our foyer to see that there's four strangers in it! Who the fuck even let them in, Strider!? It sure as fuck wasn't me and why the hell are you building my parents a house?"

Dave noticeably paled and he watched as the blond looked down at him. "I gave them a key so they could come in, but I told them to stay out of your way and not bother you." A sigh left the taller male as his eyes slid shut. "As for the house, I thought it would be nice if they lived closer to you so you could see them whenever you'd like and not have to go so far away to see them."

He bit down on his lower lip as he processed Dave's words. It didn't seem like he would have any nefarious reasons to do it, so it stood to reason that he was telling the truth. Not that he really doubted the blond for a minute, he knew he had his best interests at heart. "They're flying in today." He reminded him as he skirted out of Dave's arms to make himself a cup of orange juice.

Dave nodded solemnly, watching Karkat make the juice before taking a long drink. "I know they are, and they'll still stay with us until their house is fully built." The blond smiled at him as he stroked his hair. "When are we going to pick them up? I want us to be there when their plane lands."

"If there are no delays, about four. That gives us enough time to go to my doctor's appointment, unless you have to go into work today?" Karkat couldn't help but to let a small measure of disdain enter his voice. It would be nice to have the blond there holding his hand as some stranger jabbed at him with a wand.

"Nope, entire day off, I'm going to the appointment with you." Dave smiled, pulling him close to him, returning him to the warmth that was Dave's chest. He decidedly didn't mind this at all.

"Wow, really? Okay, great. That's… great." He really did feel pretty enthusiastic about the whole thing but he was also very fucking tired.

"What time is your appointment, maybe we have time to cuddle together before we have to go?" Dave asked softly.

Honestly, the very idea made his heart swell but sadly, it was nearly ten already. "The appointment starts in thirty minutes, we barely have time for breakfast." He pointed out gently.

"Damn…" He frowned, hugging him closer, if that were even possible. "I guess we should get dressed, come with me?" He took his hand, gently tangling their fingers together as he gave it a gentle squeeze.

Karkat squeezed Dave's hand back and he sighed heavily, "I suppose that I could indulge you in a strip-tease. That's what you're really looking forward to, isn't it?" He teased.

Dave smirked at Karkat. "Oh, definitely, I'd like to see your sexy loving body."

He wrinkled his nose up at Dave and he pushed his face away a bit, "Oh, shut your mouth." He grumbled. He had long since given up on refuting Dave's compliments since it was really just a can of worms that he didn't want to open. The can of worms being Dave's mouth.

"Never! I'll never shut my mouth!" Dave picked up Karkat, smirking him.

"You shut your mouth whenever it's around my bulge." He glanced at Dave for a reaction as he raised a brow at him.

"Well, that's because if I open it, your cherry material will stain the bedding even worse than your nook, which is definitely a vagina, has." He retorted as he set Karkat back down, already probably predicting what his next move would be.

"And just like that, this sexy conversation is over." He huffed as he used his newfound freedom to abscond to their room.

It was ten minutes later that found them in Dave's shitty old pick-up truck and Karkat was drumming his fingers on the armrest nervously. In less than a hour, they could potentially be seeing their grub. What if it was deformed? Maybe Roxy's photos weren't real, maybe they were photoshopped. What if the baby was dead? What if-

"Worrying yourself into a tizzy isn't good for the baby." Dave reminded him and he begrudgingly had to agree. It wasn't good at all for the baby and it wouldn't help either.

So, he took a deep breath and slowly exhaled as he watched the passing scenery, "What do you think the gender will be?" He asked in what he hoped was an optimistic tone but really, it came off shaky.

"Shit, man." Dave glanced at him briefly before focusing on the road again. "I don't really care what the gender is, just as long as it's healthy."

Karkat bit down on his lower lip, "And if the baby isn't healthy? If it has down syndrome or a cleft lip?"

"Then I'll still love it, Karkat. Either way, that's our baby and as soon as the kid is old enough, I'm going to teach him or her how to throw out sick fires." A genuine grin spread over Dave's lips and he had half the mind to kiss him but that would be dangerous, so he just gently cupped Dave's face.

"I love you, Dave, but if our child starts throwing down 'sick fires' and talks about the irony of everything, I'll probably fucking cry."

Dave chuckled softly and he reached over, squeezing Karkat's knee reassuringly.

* * *

Despite his prediction that it would only a hour to see his grub, it took a little more than two hours, which were spent with the ultrasound technician using different wands on him and pushing down on his stomach to try to get a hide or hair of the glob that was probably his grub. Honestly, he was starting to get frustrated. Nothing was working and the doctor was now watching the grainy screen as well with a calculating look in his eyes. It gave him the heebie jeebies.

"Wait!" The doctor ordered in a gruff voice and the technician paused as she peered into the screen confusedly.

"Is that…"

"Yes, it is." He said softly before finally turning back to Dave and Karkat.

Karkat could feel Dave gripping his hand tightly and he returned the gesture as he waited for some kind of bad news to be delivered.

"Well, I think congratulations are in order. You have two very healthy-looking eggs." The doctor smiled genuinely.

Dave didn't let go of his hand for even a minute, instead he brought it closer to his chest, "Eggs? What?"

Karkat had known there was a possibility that the grub could be born like a troll but he hadn't really wanted to bother Dave with the information and now, he sighed as he turned to Dave, "All troll babies are in eggs for at the least first six months and sometime between seven months and eight, the egg hatches and the grubs are either born via c-section or pushed out. It really depends on the size of their horns." He explained.

Dave blinked once, twice, and then looked like he was going to be sick, "They hatch inside of you? What happens to all the egg shells and shit? Does it just float around or do you push it out?"

"The grubs absorb it. It's okay, Dave. It's not really that much different from a human pregnancy." He reached over to gently cup Dave's face and he was glad when the blond leaned into the affectionate gesture.

"So, there's no way that you'll be hurt? You're not… you won't die?" He asked quietly.

Dave's reaction a few minutes ago suddenly made sense and he furrowed his brows as he pulled his boyfriend closer to him, "Strider, I'm not going to die. I'm not leaving you." He told him plaintively.

Dave, in return, gave him a watery smile and he kissed him gently.

After the fiasco at the doctor's office, Karkat had requested four sets of sonograms and he held the grainy images of the two small blobs tightly in his hands the entire ride home from the doctor's office. It had been his first time even seeing his grub- whoops, grubs. He was having twins apparently and he wasn't too sure how to feel about that just yet.


End file.
